Jump to content

Drove a Magnacharged equipped SS


Recommended Posts

... 360 miles on the clock!

 

I dropped by ASM yesterday afternoon after having a few phone conversations with Ben Bienevides (super nice guy and a gear head at heart...when calling ASM, ask Ben about his turbocharged Yamaha Raptor!!! :eek: ). I decided to make the 10 min drive (yea, long way down there, eh?! ) to check out a magnacharger installation on a brand new Silverado SS that they were doing for Chapman Chevrolet. I guess that Chapman Chevy here in town sends them a number of trucks for installation of the blower and other performance items (pretty cool, IMHO).

 

Installation thoughts

As they put the finishing touches on the Magnaflow muffler install, Ben and I took a walk around the truck and inspected the supercharger install. I am highly impressed at the Magnacharger product and ASMs install. The blower looks like a factory piece and the integrated intercooler doesn't set off any alarms for being a 'tacky' add-on! Every item of the kit either appears to be a factory quality piece of reuses a factory component... if I didn't know what I was looking at, I would assume that Chevrolet decided to supercharge the SS from the factory! Yes, it looked THAT good!

 

Driving impressions

Here I am, sitting in the driver seat of a brand new, blue Silverado SS with a total of 360 miles on the clock, listening to it idle with a distinctive, muffled high pitched whine eminating from under the hood. I ask Ben if I should be gentle with it or just give it hell... he just grinned. Out of respect for the truck, the dealership and mostly the new owner of this beast, I was gentle with it, but I did do two wide open runs thru 1st and 2nd gears. Since the truck only had a few miles on it, I was not expecting anything and I got what I expected! The truck felt like it pulled a little better at lower RPMs then my broken in SS, but higher RPMs felt like the truck was laboring to turn the blower. It felt like everything was REALLY tight! I suspect that as this beast breaks in, I shouldn't go looking to race it... till I get my own blower!

 

Exhaust side note

This truck had a stock exhaust system with the stock muffler replaced by a Magnaflow muffler. While the truck sounded good under throttle, it was loud and droney at an idle and very low throttle settings. Magnaflow mufflers take a few heat cycles to quiet down so I suspect that it will be a little nicer as it breaks in, but when I put a system on my truck, I won't opt for the Magnaflow (that and since I own an exhaust company, i can make my own system... but that has nothing to do with my opinion of the exhaust on this truck).

 

Overall opinion

I would love to drive a blown SS after 2 - 3 thousand miles as I truly feel that the truck will benefit greatly from the increased 140 hp!! Just don't install one till the truck is completely broken in... or you'll not appreciate the additional HP that it nets.

 

 

Hope ya'll appreciate my comments and write up! I'm happy to answer any questions ya'll might come up with. :thumbs:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 34
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Out of respect for the truck, the dealership and mostly the new owner of this beast, I was gentle with it, but I did do two wide open runs thru 1st and 2nd gears.

I'd be careful about saying you drove a vehicle that wasn't yours at a place like that. The owner might just be reading these forums... or a friend of theirs. And believe me when I say this information has a tendency to spread far and wide. You may not have done a thing to the vehcile, but if I were the owner I'd be asking why anyone (off the street) was allowed to drive it at all. All it takes is one slip-up and someone would have a lot of explaining to do.

 

I am reminded of the ex-Ford mechanic who took a brand new Cobra out for a spin - and then bragged about "driving it hard" on a Ford forum where the owner had friends.

 

MAN IT WAS WAY COOL, DROVE A '03 COBRA VERT TODAY THAT WAS IN THE SHOP, ME AND ANOTHER TECH TOOK IT OUT AND DROVE IT, DROVE HER HARD...

Cheers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm certainly not a newbie to the world of internet forums and made sure that I could speak about my 'drive' when i actually drove it.

 

The truck belongs to Chapman Chevy here in town and has not yet been sold... so, I wont be the only person to test drive it. I wouldn't drive another persons truck without prior permission... Driving someone elses truck is kinda like borrowing someone elses wife ... Oh, wait, wrong forums for that discussion. :D

 

Btw, I certainly didn't beat on it! I have a bit too much respect to do something like that. :thumbs:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You may not have done a thing to the Cecile, but if I were the owner I'd be asking why anyone (off the street) was allowed to drive it at all.

creaker,

I was thinking the exact same thing as I was reading that post. While certainly not flyinturbo's fault for driving it if they let him, I can't imagine why any company would let someone drive a customers vehicle (especially a performance vehicle).

I live in Phx also and was considering contacting AZ Speed and Marine to do my S/C but now I've go second thoughts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The truck belongs to Chapman Chevy here in town and has not yet been sold...

 

I have test driven many vehicles from of the lot and from the showrooms before, that's probably were the 360mi :eek: on a brand new SS has come from also.

 

I bought my SS right out of the show room, had 12 miles on it…

Link to comment
Share on other sites

xcreaker,

I was thinking the exact same thing as I was reading that post. While certainly not flyinturbo's fault for driving it if they let him, I can't imagine why any company would let someone drive a customers vehicle (especially a performance vehicle).

I live in Phx also and was considering contacting AZ Speed and Marine to do my S/C but now I've go second thoughts.

 

It was a truck from the Chapman showroom, not someones truck!

 

Honestly fellas, sorry I posted this. I'd prefer to discuss the merits of the S/C and not the fact that ASM is attempting to sell one to me by letting me test drive a vehicle that I (or anyone)could have waited a day or two and test driven on the Chapman Chevy lot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Geez, relax FlyinT. Nobody is blaming you. If they would have asked me if I wanted to try her out I would have said yes, too. It's just that a few of us don't think it was ASM's vehicle to be taking out of a test ride. That's not reflection on you. Chill. It's the weekend. I wish they would have let me drive it on a test run. :D:cheers:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You may not have done a thing to the Cecile, but if I were the owner I'd be asking why anyone (off the street) was allowed to drive it at all.

creaker,

I was thinking the exact same thing as I was reading that post. While certainly not flyinturbo's fault for driving it if they let him, I can't imagine why any company would let someone drive a customers vehicle (especially a performance vehicle).

I live in Phx also and was considering contacting AZ Speed and Marine to do my S/C but now I've go second thoughts.

I agree Flying i would have drove it also but i would have had to ask who it belonged to! Dont stop posting it was a good post

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Flyin Turbo, what kind of exhausts do manufacture/install?

 

I am in the poenix area also and am looking at exhaust systems for my 03 avalanche w/5.3. BTW I don't blame you a bit for testing out the SC SS. When after all I could go test it myself this weekend!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...listening to it idle with a distinctive, muffled high pitched whine eminating from under the hood.

I don't hear anything extra at idle. There is a slight sound from the intercooler water pump, but that is drowned out by the engine. There is a high pitched sound from the extra fuel pump on the drivers side a about the middle of the truck, but I only hear that when I step outside, never in the cab. The blower itself does not start making noise till you get in to boostville :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting... I heard a very distinct low, mellow whirl at an idle which only got louder and higher pitched as the throttle was applied.

 

 

Someone else in this thread asked me about exhausts... my company is www.forced-motion.com and we make exhaust systems for VWs. :thumbs:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...